Sailors take Eagles to school

NEWPORT BEACH — After more than two hours of tennis, the scoreboard revealed 14-4, with Newport Harbor High collecting the nonleague win over Estancia on Wednesday.

But both Newport-Mesa teams walked away with a sense of accomplishment.

For Newport Harbor (5-0), the match was a chance to again show the Sailors’ strong overall lineup. Newport Harbor won eight of nine doubles sets, and singles players Alex McIntosh, Emily Gelbaum and Kristina Heimstaedt all won two of their three individual sets.

“As we play more matches, we’re doing way better,” Gelbaum said. “There’s a lot of cheering for each other. I think we’re coming together pretty well.”

For Estancia (4-2), which moved from Division V to Division I this season, it was a chance to get ready for some tough competition down the road. The Eagles are in the Orange Coast League with defending CIF Southern Section Division I champions Laguna Beach.

“I wanted them to have a taste of what Division I looks like,” Estancia Coach Rachel de los Santos said. “I knew it was going to be a tough match, but I’m happy with getting four [sets] and getting games in all of our sets. I just wanted them to experience it.”

Estancia also got the experience of three Ellie Edles wins for the first time this season. Edles, a sophomore, went 44-1 in singles as a freshman, but has been bothered by back pain.

She said her back felt fine on Wednesday, as she easily won three of the Eagles’ four victorious sets. The No. 1 doubles team of Abby Koff and Jennifer Johnston won Estancia’s other set.

But Newport Harbor’s depth was too much. The Sailors’ doubles teams of Chrissy Schwartz and Natalie Small, as well as Avalon Sigalos and Allie Shea, both swept through their sets.

Sasha Dunlap won a set each with partners Ariana Cernius and Brittany Sowers.

For Schwartz and Small, the day was an exercise in enthusiasm. The partners encouraged each other and slapped hands after every single point, won or lost, drawing some grins from the sidelines but also some good results.

“I was just trying to come out really pumped up, to help pump the rest of the team up,” Schwartz said. “We’re 5-0, so obviously we’re doing something right. The whole team is coming together, and it gets everybody fired up and everybody plays better.”

Newport Harbor Coach Fletcher Olson said her team appears ready for next week, when the Sailors play host to Troy on Tuesday before opening Sunset League play at Los Alamitos on Thursday.

“We’re starting to see some progress now,” Olson said. “We’re moving things around a little bit and changing some strategy, and it’s starting to work for us.”

She added that it’s always fun to play a team from within the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

“It’s not necessarily a rivalry between the two schools, but it’s tight,” Olson said. Nonleague

Newport Harbor 14, Estancia 4

Singles -- McIntosh (NH) lost to Edles (E), 6-3, def. Fisher, 6-4, def. Stratton, 6-0; Gelbaum (NH) lost, 6-1, won, 6-3, 6-0; Heimstaedt (NH) lost, 6-1, won, 6-0, 6-3.

Doubles -- Dunlap-Cernius (NH) lost to Koff-Johnston (E), 6-3; (sub) Dunlap-Sowers (NH) def. O’Toole-Rodman (E), 6-0, Dunlap-Cernius def. Kawano-Ramdath-Maharaj (E), 6-2; Schwartz-Small (NH) won, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3; Sigalos-Shea (NH) won, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.